Diversity News, 30 July 2009
Women are being paid less now compared to men than in 2007.
The Women and Work Commission established to consider how to close the gender pay gap, claims it has widened from 21.9 percent in 2007 to 22.6 percent now.
The BBC reports the commission has called for women to be pushed towards non-traditional roles as three years after its initial report, women are still being pushed into jobs they have filled for years.
It has called for a strategy to tackle stereotyping in careers advice.
Chair of the commission, Baroness Margaret Prosser, said: "The government is committed to tackling inequalities in the workplace and progress has been made across the public sector and in helping women get the skills and training they need."
Among the 43 recommendations put forward in the review were:
Work experience placements for girls in occupations where women are traditionally not well representedBuddy programme to team girls together on placements in non-traditional sectors to help with their confidenceSimilar buddy system for apprenticeships and diplomas to allow participants to speak to successful women in similar jobsA careers adviser trained in challenging gender and socio-economic stereotyping for every schoolIn childcare, the government should consider what could be done to boost wages and professionalise the sector, which still attracts mainly women workers"We need to make our schools the nurturing ground for ambition so that everyone has the opportunity to use their talents to the full," Baroness Prosser added.